Spacer for justifying lines of type



Feb. 10, 1959 w. J. RUBERTI SPACER FOR JUSTIFYING LINES OF TYPE Filed Sept. 26, 1957 l l I l l l l I I INVENTOR. WILLIAM J. RUBERTI ATTORNEY United States Patent SPACER FOR JUSTIFYING LINES OF TYPE William J. Ruberti, Clinton, Mass. Application September 26, 1957, Serial No. 686,437 6 Claims. (Cl. 95-45) This invention relates to typesetting and to new and improved spaces which are placed between the words as the line of type is set up and are automatically capable of justifying the line of type upon operation of the usual justification bar in a circulatory matrix system.

In the prior art, it has been found that there is a distinct need for better means of spacing between words, particularly on photographic type setting machines. The present invention has for its principal object the provision of an automatic justifying matrix or space that facilitates exact, easier and faster setting of assembled lines without cancelling.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a justifying matrix or space which incorporates therein a justifying member that is movably associated with the matrix and extends therebelow in the line of type in a box in position to be engaged by a vertically movable device such as a justifying bar, whereupon the device automatically spreads laterally in order to take up the required space in order to justify the line of type fully, and this invention is particularly adapted for use with circulating matrices in photographic typesetters.

It is another object of the invention to provide for justifying spaces or matrices which are operable Wholly from below the line of type and do not in any way pass through or above the matrices in the line of type so that the area above the line of type is completely free and unimpeded in any way.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a line of type which requires justification;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrates the line of type in justified condition;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views in elevation of modifications.

In Figs. 1 and 3, individual type matrices are indicated at 10 and the novel justifying spaces are indicated generally by reference numeral 12 and as shown are illustrated in proper position between the words.

Each martix and space comprises a main body portion 13 which is arranged to fit in the line of type as usual and as will be apparent from the disclosure of Fig. 2. The main body portion of each matrix is provided with a longitudinal central recess or channel 14 appearing at one side only thereof. In the case of each space 12, there is provided a pivot-pin 16 which is fixed in position across the channel. On the pivot-pin there is pivotally mounted a plate 18 which may be referred to as a leaf of a hinge, the other leaf of which is indicated at 20 and is relatively elongated.

The hinge-leaf 20 is articulated with respect to hingeleaf 18 by a hinge-pin 22 connected at its ends to a float- 2,872,856 Patented Feb. 10, 1959 ing flat plate 24 and it will be seen therefore that plates 18, 20 and 24 are all pivotable with relation to each other and that plate 24 is in effect a floating plate. Plate 24 is capable of maintaining its original parallelism with the main body 12 of the space, regardless of the angularity of the plates 18 and 20.

The action of the device is illustrated in Fig. 3 but from Fig. 1 it is clearly apparent that the depending plates 20 have extending lower ends as at 26 which extend well below the lower line of the matrices in the line of type being set. The reference numeral 28 refers to a vertically movable justifying bar which is well known in the art and need not be further illustrated herein. However, this justifying bar rises during operation of the machine and as it does so, it contacts the lower ends 26 of the members 20. Since the martices are all held in the usual box, these members are therefore constrained to move laterally from the Fig. 1 position to the Fig. 3 position. The plates 24 of course maintain their vertical location as illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the matrices 10 are maintained in upright position as required.

It will be seen that this invention provides for automatic justification which is particularly adapted to automatic photographic machines with circulatory matrices such as are well known in the art, and in addition the entire action is accomplished from below the set type and in no instance does any part thereof extend above the top edges of the matrices as is illustrated in Fig. 3. Since the justifying bar 28 is already present in an automatic circulatory machine, the spaces of the present invention may be utilized therein without substantial change of the machine, thus making it extremely simple and easy to carry out the present invention.

A modification of the device is shown in Fig. 6 wherein the matrix 30 is similar to that at 12 and has a pin 32 similar to that at 16 but in this case the pin 32 pivotally mounts a single resilient bendable member 34 having a lower depending end 36 which is comparable to that at 26 in Fig. 1. When the justifying bar 28 rises, the resilient member 34 is bowed outwardly to the right as shown in dotted lines, but this accomplishes the same purpose as before while still maintaining the matrices in correct vertical alignment.

After the operation of the justifying bar 28, the usual clamp or stops which indicate the correct length of the justified type may be utilized in order to check the disposition or extent or lateral displacement of the novel spaces but this is usually done automatically by reason of the fact that the justifying bar will move the matrices apart as shown in Fig. 3 to abut the usual predetermined clamps or stops not shown but indicated by broken lines as at 38.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, the new space may be utilized in the absence of plate 24 if this is found desirable in order to avoid interference between matrices when the space is placed in operation. In this case, the operation is exactly the same as described above with relation to the device as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The invention has been shown in the drawings for purpose of clarity of illustration as matrix spaces which are similar in thickness to the matrices but as a matter of fact in practice the spaces are actually narrower and this has been illustrated in Fig. 8 wherein the matrices at 10 are thicker than the space 12 in between the same.

Having thus described'my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not Wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A justifying space comprising a body portion, a movable member hinged thereto and capable of lateral motion with respect thereto to engage the next adjacent matrix in line, said movable member including a portion depending below the main body portion of the space in position to'be engaged and 'spreadthemember laterally, said movable member comprising a pair of articulated elements.

'2. The space -of1claim 1 including a pivoted floating flatmatrixcontacting element fat the point of articulation of *the said elements.

3. A justifying space "comprising 'a body portion, a movable'rnember hinged theretoand capable of lateral motion with respect thereto to engage the next adjacent matrix in line, said movable'mem'ber including aportion -'depending'belowthemain body portion of the space in position tobe engaged'and spread the'member laterally,- .said' movable member comprising a pair ofarticw ,iated elements, arranged in vertical depending relationship 'with respect to the main-bodyportion.

"matrix inline, said movable member including a portion depending below the main body-portion of the space in position to be engagedand spread the-member later- & ally, said movable member comprising a pair of articu- 'latedele'mentsyarranged in vertical depending "relationship with respect to the main body portion, the upper element being hinged to the main body portion at its upper edge.

5. The space of claim 4 wherein only the lower element depends below the main body portion.

6. A justifying space comprising a body portion, a movable resilient flexible member hinged at one end thereto by bowing outwards therefrom, and capable oi'lateral flexing with respect thereto'to engage the next adjacent matrixlin line, said resilient member including a. freeendportiondepending below'the main body portion of the space in positionsto be engagedlitolbow the member out laterally.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,426,146 .Freund Aug. 19, 1947 2,464,038 ::Freund Mar. 8 ,'1949 

